Chapter 3: This Generation’s Master of Penglai Island Has a Serious Problem Part 2

Gu Chuan smelled the scent of blood on Lu Qing’an. He grabbed her hand, panicked. “You’re injured?”

“Not my blood.” Lu Qing’an pulled her hand away from Gu Chuan’s. Rotating her wrist, the tail of the Nine-Tailed Bone Fox appeared in her palm.

Gu Chuan exclaimed in shock, “A Nine-Tailed Bone Fox tail?!”

“Did you run into the Nine-Tailed Bone Fox?”

“No,” Lu Qing’an thought of that mysterious woman, but chose not to tell Gu Chuan. She just made up an excuse. “Found it on the road.”

“…”

Even the most foolish person could hear the dismissiveness in her tone.

But Lu Qing’an didn’t wish to elaborate, so Gu Chuan didn’t press further.

Lu Qing’an took the Nine-Tailed Bone Fox tail over to Hou An. She channeled her spiritual power, infusing the blood of the Nine-Tailed Bone Fox into Hou An’s Spirit Sea.

Hou An’s complexion gradually improved significantly; even his cheeks regained some rosiness.

He looked at Lu Qing’an with a gaze full of gratitude, choking, “Thank you, Eldest Senior Sister, for saving my life. Hou An can never repay you. I am willing to serve you with my life…”

“No need.”

Lu Qing’an stood up and stored the now withered and deflated tail into her Storage Bag.

The group was just about to continue resting by the creek for a bit longer when, in the blink of an eye, the heavens seemed to collapse and the earth split open. Right before their eyes, the stream instantly dried up, the riverbed cracking and fracturing, as if some colossal entity was about to erupt from the ground below.

The vast, ferocious spiritual energy fluctuations made everyone hold their breath, rooted in place.

Lu Qing’an immediately summoned her Cloud-Cutting Sword to face the enemy. She could sense that this Spirit Beast was far more powerful than the Nine-Tailed Bone Fox.

In a split second, a giant python burst forth from the earth, rising up. Its massive body, as thick as an ancient tree, trapped everyone beneath its shadow. Its cyan scales were razor-sharp, and its bright red tongue flickered constantly, as if seeking out whoever had disturbed its slumber.

Blood-red vertical pupils gazed down from above, the murderous thirst in its eyes clearly visible. Its sharp fangs gleamed with a cold light under the blood moon.

“It’s… it’s a Star Rift Python at the Saint-Rank Earth-Shattering Stage!”

“Why… why is it here? I clearly swept the perimeter! There were no Spirit Beasts!”

“It’s not difficult for a Saint-Rank Spirit Beast to conceal its aura. But we’ve been staying here quietly. We were even talking in low voices. How could we have disturbed the Star Rift Python?”

Lu Qing’an glanced at the bloodstain on her sleeve, a flicker of regret passing through her eyes.

Nine-Tailed Bone Foxes and Star Rift Pythons were mortal enemies. Whenever the two species met, they would fight viciously to the death.

The dormant Star Rift Python must have sensed the Nine-Tailed Bone Fox’s aura and thus burst up from the ground.

In the space of a single breath, Lu Qing’an, sword in hand, charged forward to meet it, shouting, “Run——”

Seeing this, Gu Chuan immediately summoned his sword and went to assist Lu Qing’an.

Knowing their strength was incomparable, the others obediently heeded the order and fled toward the rear.

Unfortunately, the Star Rift Python had already developed sentience. How could it let these cultivators, who might be connected to the Nine-Tailed Bone Fox, escape? Its enormous snake tail swept across, snapping the ancient trees around them in half, forcibly blocking everyone’s escape route.

Lu Qing’an stabbed at the Star Rift Python’s body, but the hard scales prevented her from piercing even a single inch. She could only scrape a few sparks off its surface, unable to damage the python in the slightest.

The Star Rift Python let out a long hiss toward the sky. A fierce wave of spiritual power sent everyone tumbling to the ground.

Lu Qing’an couldn’t defeat the Star Rift Python. No one here could withstand even a single blow from it.

The Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss was truly as the rumors said: no one could leave this place alive.

Lu Qing’an coughed up blood. She raised a hand to wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth, her gaze toward the Star Rift Python incredibly sharp.

She stood up, her hands rapidly forming hand seals.

Seeing her hand seal gestures, Gu Chuan cried out in alarm, “Qing’an, no!”

That was the method of using all one’s spiritual power as the ignition point to detonate one’s Golden Core and perish together with the enemy.

Among the group, only he and Lu Qing’an had formed Golden Cores.

Only by self-detonating a Golden Core could they possibly carve out a sliver of hope for survival under the Star Rift Python’s attack.

Lu Qing’an ignored Gu Chuan’s plea. She knew that even a self-detonation couldn’t bring the Star Rift Python down with her.

But if she could wound the Star Rift Python by even thirty percent, her death would still have meaning.

Hearing Gu Chuan’s words, the others stared in shock at Lu Qing’an, who had been standing protectively in front of them the entire time.

From the start of the training, although Lu Qing’an had a cool and aloof personality and wasn’t easy to get close to, she had always cared for them deeply. Whenever danger appeared, she was the first to strike, creating a path of retreat for them.

And now, to save them, Lu Qing’an was actually willing to sacrifice all her spiritual power and self-destruct her Golden Core. She wanted to protect them one last time.

What virtue did they have to deserve this?

Lu Qing’an was a heavenly prodigy, gifted with exceptional cultivation talent. Diligent and relentless, she was the disciple most likely to ascend to immortality in the Primordial Pavilion. The Sect Master and Elders had placed their highest hopes on her.

Yet now, for a bunch of useless deadweight like them, she was going to self-destruct.

What virtue did they have to deserve this?!

Everyone’s expression solidified with resolve, eyes determined. They too began to form seals, shouting in unison, “Eldest Senior Sister, we will aid you——”

Gu Chuan also cast aside all inhibitions, forming seals and incanting, “Qing’an, we live and die together.”

Lu Qing’an: “…”

Lu Qing’an was somewhat moved by those words, but it was truly unnecessary.

If she self-destructed her Golden Core, she could definitely block the Star Rift Python’s attack and buy them more time to escape.

There was absolutely no need for them to self-destruct and die along with her!

A futile effort!

Lu Qing’an was so frustrated her heart felt blocked, but with danger looming and time pressing, she could say no more. Dealing with the Star Rift Python was the priority.

The Star Rift Python sensed the changes in the cultivators’ spiritual power. It intended to devour them before they could finish their self-detonations.

Its irritable vertical pupils constricted. Its enormous, blood-filled mouth descended from above, attempting to swallow everyone whole.

Lu Qing’an circulated all the spiritual power in her body. The Golden Core within her Spirit Sea rapidly expanded, emitting a dazzling golden light.

Suddenly——

A white, semi-spherical light shield appeared around them, enveloping them completely.

The Star Rift Python bit down hard onto the light shield, shattering half of its own sharp fangs.

The Star Rift Python let out a hissing screech, believing it to be some magical treasure or immortal artifact of the cultivators. It twisted its snake body and rammed against the shield with brute force, but couldn’t shake it in the slightest.

Everyone watched in disbelief as the Star Rift Python thrashed wildly outside the light shield. No matter how it collided against it, it simply couldn’t break through.

Lu Qing’an stared at the light shield, her brows furrowed deeply. A sense of familiarity welled up in her heart.

“What is that?”

Everyone looked toward where the sound was pointing. In the sky behind the Star Rift Python floated a person.

That person hovered against the crescent moon. They lifted a single hand and gently pressed downwards.

The Star Rift Python, still furiously ramming against the light shield, felt as though an enormous boulder had smashed down upon its head.

The Star Rift Python was instantly smashed into the ground, yet it continued to struggle and resist.

Every time the person in the sky lowered their hand, the Star Rift Python was hammered a layer deeper into the earth.

The darkness of night was filled with nothing but the python’s agonized hisses and the sound of its spine shattering, coming from inside its body.

Crack… crack, crack…

Gradually, everything returned to silence. There was not a single sound between heaven and earth. The absolute quiet was enough to chill a person to the bone.

The light shield slowly weakened and vanished. The figure on the crescent moon disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Everything had happened so suddenly it felt like a dream. Yet the corpse of the Star Rift Python before them dragged everyone back to reality.

“J-just… just what happened?”

“That person… killed a Star Rift Python at the Saint-Rank Earth-Shattering Stage… as if it was nothing?!”

“She… she disappeared…”

“Gu Chuan, take care of them. I’ll go look.” Leaving these words behind, Lu Qing’an turned and flew off.

“Qing’an——”

Lu Qing’an was too fast; Gu Chuan couldn’t catch up. He could only stay behind and wait for her return.

Lu Qing’an flew a great distance but could detect no trace of the person.

This person had saved them once already from the Nine-Tailed Bone Fox, and now again from the jaws of the Star Rift Python.

Lu Qing’an didn’t believe the woman’s talk about becoming her disciple and seeking immortality. She had said it too casually, with no hint of sincerity.

And Lu Qing’an was self-aware enough to know she didn’t possess such tremendous ability that a powerful expert would appreciate and adore her so deeply.

Yet she herself had no unique quality that would attract the help of such a powerful being.

What was the real reason? She wanted to figure it out.

“Looking for me?”

Lu Qing’an spun around abruptly to face the woman who had suddenly appeared behind her.

She pursed her lips and asked, “Why are you helping us?”

Or, perhaps she should flatter herself and ask: why help her?

Cheng Huan said bluntly, “You can’t die.”

If the Male and Female Leads died, this world would collapse. Her retirement life would definitely be affected.

Lu Qing’an’s eyes flickered. She asked, “Why?”

They were clearly complete strangers.

“If you died, I couldn’t live either.” Cheng Huan spoke the honest truth.

If the Child of Destiny chosen by the Heavenly Dao died, the world would collapse, and all living beings within it would be annihilated.

Lu Qing’an’s eyes widened. In disbelief, she uttered, “Huh?”

Cheng Huan had never been a Female Lead, but she could understand the heavy burden of carrying a great responsibility bestowed by the Heavenly Dao.

She walked over and patted Lu Qing’an on the shoulder. “Don’t be afraid. With me here, you won’t die.”

Lu Qing’an: “…”